Armed with lightning-fast jaws and complex societies, Odontomachus troglodytes has made its surprising home in southern Taiwan – far from its native Africa. In their new paper, “Insights into social organization and population genetics of introduced Odontomachus troglodytes in Taiwan,” Hsiao-Yang Chu and colleagues uncover how this trap-jawed ant thrives in its new environment. Through behavioral assays and genetic analyses, they reveal a colony system marked by multiple queens, cooperative supercolonies, and even diploid males- an unusual sign of inbreeding. This study offers the first glimpse into how social flexibility and genetic diversity help invasive ants conquer new frontiers.
Authors of the study: Shu-Ping Tseng, Hsiao-Yang Chu, Joanne Tzu-Chia Chen, Yi-Ting Fang, and Tzong-Han Lin, are members of the Odontomachus troglodytes research team at the Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University
Searching for Odontomachus troglodytes colonies beneath leaf litter and straw in southern Taiwan. Colonies of this species are often found under decomposing organic material in disturbed habitats such as orchards and along roadside vegetation.Searching for Odontomachus troglodytes colonies beneath leaf litter and straw in southern Taiwan. Colonies of this species are often found under decomposing organic material in disturbed habitats such as orchards and along roadside vegetation. Excavated nest material of Odontomachus troglodytes placed in a plastic tray for transport.Field team members excavating soil to access the subterranean chambers of an Odontomachus troglodytes colony.A video showing a large number of workers actively foraging and interacting in the field.Teamwork during field surveys: researchers carefully remove surface debris to locate Odontomachus troglodytes nests.This clip captures workers interacting with nest materials under laboratory conditions.Odontomachus troglodytes workers housed in the laboratory, clustering near nest material inside a Petri dish.A group of Odontomachus troglodytes workers inhabiting a shallow nest composed of soil, decomposed leaf litter, and fine roots.
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